Om Namah Sivaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *The Observance of Sivaratri* by Sri Swami Krishnananda Sivaratri is an important festival, with deep religious and spiritual significance. It is the day on which Siva as the manifested form of the Absolute in its function of universal transformation is adored by all devotees. This worship is performed on the 14th day of the dark half of the lunar month of Phalguna (February-March). The day is ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Prerequisites For Meditation* by Sri Swami Sivananda For meditation, you want a properly trained instrument. You must have a calm, clear, pure, subtle, sharp, steady and one-pointed Buddhi to understand the Brahma-tattva or Brahma-vastu. Then and then only is realisation possible. Brahman is pure and subtle and you need a pure and subtle mind to approach Brahman. Only a trained mind whi ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *The Mind of The Aspirant: A Psychological Study* by Sri Swami Sivananda One who seriously takes to the spiritual path and begins to do systematic Sadhana finds himself face to face with certain peculiar difficulties and disappointing experiences that at first tend to dismay and discourage the beginner. These problems and obstacles are common to the generality of aspirants and therefore i ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Vasanas* by Sri Swami Sivananda Vasana (desire in subtle form) is a wave in the mind-lake. Its seat is the Karana Sarira. It exists there in the form of a seed and manifests in the mind-lake. Just as flowers are latent in seeds, Vasanas are latent in the Antahkarana and the Karana Sarira (seed-body). Daily new flowers blossom out. They fade out in a day or two. Similarly, Vasanas blossom ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Not A Rosy Path* by Sri Swami Chidananda Gurudev says, "There is no royal road in spirituality. Adversity develops the power of endurance and will-force. Adversity develops fortitude and forbearance. All the prophets, saints, Bhaktas and Yogins of yore had to struggle hard against adverse circumstances. God puts His devotees under severe tests and rigorous trials." Nothing tha ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *The Incredible Gift of Our Spiritual Heritage* by Sri Swami Chidananda As far as we know about the human race, since ancient times there has been a continuing development in human society. In the beginning man wanted to know where he could find food, water and shelter, but then a period came when, not satisfied with knowing only about his immediate physical environment, the desire arose ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *The Real Purpose of Your Life* by Sri Swami Sivananda Time is most precious. You do not realise the value of time. When one is on the deathbed you will ask the doctor who is standing by the side of the patient, "O doctor! Just do something for the patient. Give a powerful injection. Let the breath continue for some hours at least. My brother is coming from Bombay to see the patient. ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Sun – The Eye of the World* by Sri Swami Krishnananda In Sanskrit, Makara Sankranti means the time when the sun crosses the tropic of Capricorn. The day is of special significance to all those leading a spiritual life and mention has been made of the commencement of this new period in such scriptures as the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita. The sun comes to the North, energising and invig ...Continue Reading

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Sun – The Eye of the World* by Sri Swami Krishnananda In Sanskrit, Makara Sankranti means the time when the sun crosses the tropic of Capricorn. The day is of special significance to all those leading a spiritual life and mention has been made of the commencement of this new period in such scriptures as the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita. The sun comes to the North, energising and invig ...Continue Reading

Om Saravanabhavaya Namah! Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya! Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya! Namaste! *Lord Skanda -- The Concentrated Divine Energy* by Sri Swami Krishnananda When the forces of darkness began to assault the angels, the Purana tells us that the forces were threefold. They are named, in the Skanda Purana, as Surapadma, Simhamukha and Taraka; and in the Mahabharata as Duryodhana, Kama and Duhsasana. No one, however virtuous and good he may be, could stand these forces. Th ...Continue Reading